17 May 2016, by Karen Cheah Yee Lynn, Secretary, Malaysian Bar
Circular No 116/2016
Dated 17 May 2016
To Members of the Malaysian Bar
Update on Imposition by Local Authorities of Requirement of Licences for Premises and/or Signboards
We refer to Circular No 051/2015 dated 11 Mar 2015, entitled “Imposition by Local Councils of Requirement of Licences for Premises and/or Signboards”.
In that circular, we informed Members that the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government (“Ministry”) had officially communicated to the Bar Council that law firms are not required to pay for licences for their premises. However, the Ministry had stated that law firms must apply for signboard licences from their local authorities.
The Bar Council has taken this matter up with Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (“DBKL”) and Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (“MBSA”), and informed them of the Bar Council’s position that law firms are regulated under the Legal Profession Act 1976 and the Legal Profession (Publicity) Rules 2001, and that there is no requirement for law firms to apply for licences for their signboards.
DBKL responded in a letter dated 25 Nov 2014, and stated in relevant part as follows:
4. … premis firma guaman adalah tidak dikenakan lesen premis ataupun lesen iklan dari pihak DBKL.
MBSA, in its letter dated 13 Oct 2015, stated in relevant part as follows:
2. Berhubung dengan aduan Ahli-Ahli Bar Malaysia yang telah menerima notis berkenaan pembayaran lesen yang dikenakan kepada Pejabat Guaman yang berdaftar di Shah Alam, sebenarnya ia adalah merupakan lesen perniagaan bagi premis yang dikenakan oleh Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam. Untuk makluman puan, berdasarkan Undang-Undang Kecil Pelesenan Tred, Perniagaan dan Perindustrian (Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam) 2007, Majlis berhak mengenakan lesen bagi mana-mana aktiviti yang tidak dimasukkan atau dinyatakan di dalam Undang-undang Kecil ini.
3. . . .
4. Pihak Majlis bersetuju mempertimbangkan untuk mengecualikan bayaran bagi lesen perniagaan dan iklan bagi firma guaman yang berdaftar di Shah Alam. Untuk makluman pihak puan sehingga bulan September 2015 hanya terdapat empat (4) firma guaman telah dilesenkan. Majlis akan mengambil tindakan untuk menutup semua akaun lesen premis yang terlibat. Bagi notis yang telah dikeluarkan kepada premis guaman, Majlis memohon kerjasama untuk dikembalikan kepada Majlis untuk tindakan pembatalan.
Copies of the letters from DBKL and MBSA are attached for your reference.
Despite the positions stated by DBKL and MBSA in their letters, it has come to the Bar Council’s attention that law firms are still receiving notices from them, requiring the law firms to apply for licences for their premises and/or signboards.
The Bar Council is seeking to meet with the relevant authorities in order to arrive at a conclusive resolution of this matter.
In the interim, Members of the Bar are urged not to apply for licences for their premises and/or signboards from their respective local authorities.
Thank you.
Karen Cheah Yee Lynn
Secretary
Malaysian Bar